How Neji Got His Groove Back
by Lady Silvamord
Summary: [part two of two] So, Neji's got game. It's undeniable. After drinking Shikamaru and Sakura under the table, he's managed to blackmail Sakura into dinner with his family...which is not a date. It is complete, utter, shameless blackmail...right?
1. How Neji Got His Groove Back

**Note: **Written for a challenge at the nejisaku community, given by infiinficio. She requested something to do with a _chuunin vest, _with additional points if it was NejiSakuShika. So, here it is! (There is a slight NejiSaku slant at the end, but…)

Rated for mild language, drinking, and slight suggestive content. Set at some point in the future, when all of them are old enough to drink, and Sasuke has been beaten into submission by his teammates and dragged back to Konoha.

-

When Hyuuga Neji wakes up with a splitting headache in the middle of the afternoon in his bed, with his feet on his pillow and his head dangling off the foot of the bed, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer shorts that _are not his _and a chuunin vest much too small for him—_that is also not his—_the first thing he does is utter a very un-masculine squeak of complete and utter shock.

_What _exactly happened last night?

It was a question that the ANBU captain never imagined that he would be asking himself. So he sits, hunched up under the sheets, using every ounce of his considerable intellect in his struggle to remember how he came to be in this situation.

After about ten minutes of deep thought, he still doesn't know exactly how he has been stripped of his dignity and possibly publicly humiliated.

He, does, however, come to realize who the two culprits of this—this _monstrous _excuse for a practical joke, must be. When the weight of this realization hits him, he growls aloud and shakes the bedsheets.

As if in response, a small piece of paper flutters out of the sheets. Neji picks it up and begins to read it, and his expression becomes stormier with each passing line.

_Dear Almighty Hyuuga-Ness,_

_If we know you as well as we think we do, you're probably sitting in bed fuming about how, despite your _amazing _intellect, you just cannot figure out why you just woke up with a massive hangover—and wearing only my chuunin vest and Shika's boxer shorts, too!_

_Let me help you out a little. Remember there was a party last night, to celebrate Naruto passing his jounin exams with flying colors? Yeah. There was drinking, of course, and you got…a little inebriated. _

_Don't worry, it was nothing _too _serious! So, Shika and I decided to take you over to my place, so that you would stop hitting on Sasuke. We dragged you over, but…well, I think Shika was a little unhappy about the you-hitting-on-Sasuke part of the evening. He kind of proposed a drinking game/strip poker type thing when he saw the vodka in my side cabinet, and you kind of agreed. Despite my better judgment, I joined in. _

_As you have probably figured out by now, you lost. Um…miserably._

(At this point in the letter, the handwriting changes.)

_So, Hyuuga, are you missing your ANBU uniform? I don't think you'll be able to report to work until you have it back. _

_Currently, it's sitting at Sakura's apartment, on her bed. Don't even think about trying to break in and steal it. It's guarded—heavily. _

_If you ever want to see your uniform again, you are going to have to report to Sakura's apartment tonight at nine o' clock sharp, and you have to have her chuunin vest and my boxers on your person as you do so. _

_We'll be waiting. _

_Regards, _

_Haruno Sakura and Nara Shikamaru. _

Neji stares at the letter, in a temporary state of shock.

Hitting on Sasuke?

Strip poker with _Sakura_?

He can do without remembering the former, but not remembering Sakura and strip poker…

_Damn. _

Neji shakes the thought out of his mind, and tries to return himself to his usual state of asexuality. There is no question in his mind that he has to show himself at Sakura's tonight at nine. He knows that the pink-haired kunoichi is compassionate and that her evil streak is actually quite small. She's sensitive about her uniforms as well, and she won't willingly do anything like paint rainbows and daisies on his ANBU mask.

Shikamaru, on the other hand…

And unfortunately for him, Shikamaru happens to possess excellent persuasion skills, providing he actually wants to stop dozing and persuade somebody to do something. Like dyeing a uniform purple. Or feeding it to a certain perverted Sannin's giant toad.

Neji shakes his head again, as he gets out of bed and unzips Sakura's vest, folding it carefully and setting it on his dresser. Having something of hers in his room gives him a somewhat pleasurable tingle down his spine.

After taking a long, hot shower, making himself look presentable, and drinking a cup of coffee, he makes his way out to the courtyard, where he seats himself under an old oak tree, settling himself into his old meditating position. But he doesn't try to clear his mind. Instead, he plots against the kunoichi and the strategist. He knows that outsmarting them will be difficult.

Then again, he likes a challenge.

As he thinks, a small, evil smile spreads across his face.

Hanabi, Konohamaru, and Moegi happen upon him a little while later, sitting there smiling evilly to himself. Moegi and Konohamaru quail. "What's he _thinking _about?" Konohamaru whispers.

"He's probably planning to kill someone," Hanabi replies, unperturbed. "Either that, or make them wish they were never born." The three genin continue on their way through the courtyards, with Moegi and Konohamaru occasionally shooting dubious looks back at the older jounin.

--

At eight that night, Neji looks at the small white pill sitting beside his glass of water with an expression of deep satisfaction on his face.

He has never had much alcohol tolerance. Scratch that—he gets tipsy after only a little bit of wine. Half of a bowl of the Curry of Life is enough to make him keel over into an unconscious stupor. Forget vodka, margaritas, beer, or even some of the stronger cocktails.

Neji's lack of alcohol tolerance is one of the few reasons that his fellow ANBU members have to laugh at him and ruffle his hair whenever he makes some excuse about how he can't go to the bar after a long day at work because of family obligations, or something of that sort.

Neji's lack of alcohol tolerance is also why he routinely ends up slumped over the table only a few rounds into drinking games. Apparently, now his lack of alcohol tolerance is why he has lost his uniform to Sakura and Shikamaru, as well.

Neji has had enough. He has decided to turn the tables on his two companions.

"Tonight, I am going to drink my uniform back," he resolves aloud. _And I am going to put Sakura and Shikamaru into some uncomfortable situations, themselves._

Smirking, he swallows the pill and takes a long glass of water, before picking up Sakura's vest and nestling it under his arm. As he makes his way out the compound gates, he almost feels as if he could whistle a merry tune.

Tonight, he _definitely _isn't going to be the one who passes out after a few shots.

--

When he rings the doorbell to Sakura's apartment, she answers it very quickly, and gives him a bright, sweet smile. "Come in!"

Neji gives her a deadpan look; obviously unconvinced by the innocent, unassuming expression she is now sporting. "Shika's going to be a little bit late," she explains, seating herself cross-legged on the floor. "He tried to tell me that he ran into a mishap involving…something, I didn't quite catch that part, but it's obviously a lie."

Neji raises an eyebrow at her. "You seem awfully convinced of that."

"You forget the years I spent under the tutelage of Kakashi-sensei," she replies humorously. "I can pick out lies better than most. Especially if they're ridiculous, implausible lies. Anyway…" she drags the word out, leaning back against the sofa.

Before she can complete her sentence, somebody opens the door, before slouching inside. "Yo."

"Shikamaru, that door was _locked_ for a reason."

The tactician stretches and yawns. "I'm a shinobi, Sakura. I can break down simple locks in a matter of moments."

Sakura flings a nearby pencil at him. "It's common _courtesy_, Shikamaru!" She looks expectantly at the jounin sitting beside her, obviously expecting him to leap to her defense.

Not the case. Neji's attention is too focused on the bags that Shikamaru is carrying. Of course, he can easily see through the wrapping with his Byakugan, but…

"What are those?" he asks, trying his best to sound innocently curious.

Shikamaru smirks. "Wouldn't you like to know, Hyuuga." He seats himself on the opposite side of the coffee table, and places the bags on the table, before carefully unwrapping them.

"Vodka?" Sakura asks incredulously, upon seeing the bottles. A suspicious look flickers across her face. "…Shikamaru…"

"Well, we _did _exhaust your supply last night," Shikamaru replies defensively. He looks at Neji, who keeps his expression as blank as always. Inwardly, though, he can already taste the sweet feel of victory. _Oh, Shikamaru, I know you too well._

"So, are those gifts for me?" Sakura inquires, clasping her hands.

"Whatever's left over can be gifts for you." Shikamaru gets up, trying to find the glasses.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, Sakura, surely you don't think that we're just going to give darling Neji his uniform back without a fight, do you?"

Neji allows himself a small smile. _Score one. _

"Let me guess," he drawls. "You and Sakura plan to drink against me, with my uniform as the prize."

"Of course." Shikamaru sets three glasses on the table. "You—"

"Shikamaru, we shouldn't," Sakura cuts in. "You know how Neji is when it comes to drinking. Sorry," she adds guiltily, seeing the expression on the Hyuuga's face.

Neji takes a deep breath. "No matter, Sakura. I welcome the idea, as a matter of fact."

Sakura couldn't have looked more thunderstruck if Uchiha Itachi had just dropped into the middle of the apartment, struck a dramatic pose, and vanished. "Neji…are you _sure_?" She places a hand to his forehead. "You're not ill, are you?"

"No, Sakura," he says patiently.

On a normal day, Shikamaru would be more than a little suspicious of this sudden change in his friend's nature. But secretly, he is still a little put out about Neji's antics involving Sasuke the previous night, and that emotion makes him careless. "You heard him, Sakura." He passes out the glasses. "Besides, his _beloved_ _Sasuke-kun _isn't here to distract him with those _mesmerizing Sharingan eyes,_ is he?"

Neji closes his eyes and thinks about how pleasant it would be to close up a few of Shikamaru's tenketsu points. "Let's just play, shall we?" he grits out. A distinctly menacing smile spreads across his face. "The same thing we did last night."

Sakura sighs, unearthing the cards from under the sofa cushion. She begins to shuffle them. Shikamaru places both hands behind his head and leans back against the corner of the armchair. "It's your funeral, Hyuuga."

--

One hour later, Shikamaru is slumped over the coffee table, shirtless, with his hair down, and with a big pink daisy drawn on his pants in permanent marker. The pair of boxers that he had 'given' Neji the previous night has been carefully arranged on his head like a hat.

Neji stares at the sight for a moment, before laughing in a way that makes the hairs on the back of Sakura's neck stand up. Blearily, she wonders how on earth he has developed such strong alcohol tolerance in _one day. _

_Of course, this _is _"I'll-kill-you-with-one-poke" Hyuuga Neji we're talking about, _she notes, staring at him wonderingly. "You're so very impressive," she says aloud, her speech slurring slightly.

Neji smirks. "Aren't I?"

"As a matter of fact," she purrs drunkenly, stroking his cheek. "I want to be just like you when I grow up."

"Indeed," he replies, satisfied, and inwardly makes a note to _never_ let her be drunk around Uchiha Sasuke or Jiraiya.

"Okay," Sakura says, nestling herself up to him. "Let's do this."

Neji distances himself from her slightly, as he deals the cards. When they both flip their cards over, Neji has to stifle a triumphant smirk when he comes out on top. He gives the kunoichi an once-over. Her hair is down; her shoes are off…hmm.

"Lose the top, Sakura."

Sakura blushes a little, but she begins to unbutton her vest. As Neji watches her struggle with the third button, he sighs.

"Sakura, are you sure you want to continue this?"

She gives him a puzzled look. "We have to. Can you help me with this button, right here?"

Blushing in a very un-Hyuuga like fashion, he leans in and undoes the fastening, trying not to let his fingers touch any part of her anatomy that can be considered improper. "One more round," he tells her firmly, as he draws back and watches her fumble with her shirt, and he closes his eyes momentarily as she shrugs it off. "Just one more round."

Sometimes, he _really _hates his conscience.

--

The next morning, Sakura wakes up lying on the couch, with a horrible hangover, wearing nothing but her skirt and her underclothes.

She groans aloud upon catching sight of Shikamaru, who is still in the state he had been on the previous night.

There is a note fastened to the top of her breast bindings, and she struggles to sit up and read it.

_Dear Sakura,_

_As you can see, you seem to have lost our little match of strip poker last night. Miserably, in fact. _

(Sakura imagines the smirk he must have worn while writing this.)

_Of course, I decided to be a gentleman, and I didn't continue the game after you had to give up your shirt. Very considerate of me, don't you think? _

_I have reclaimed my uniform, thankfully. _

_While I was in possession of your chuunin vest, I realized that I rather liked having something of yours in my room. As a result, your top is now washed, ironed, folded, and nestled comfortably among my training clothes. _

_If you have any desire to reclaim it, you will present yourself at the Hyuuga compound at seven forty-five this evening for dinner. Formal attire. You may also want to make plans to stay later. _

_I'll be waiting. _

_Regards,_

_Hyuuga Neji. _

-

Oooh, Neji's got plans for our dear Sakura...XD. I'm neither confirming or denying a sequel, for now.

Reviews appreciated!


	2. How Neji Reestablished His Groove

**Note: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed. :) Initially, this was supposed to be an oneshot, but I caved in to popular demand. Brace yourself for Sakura-torture, a dose of Shikamaru, dinner with the Hyuugas (complete with awkward questions, courtesy of one Hyuuga Hanabi), and, of course, NejiSaku goodness!

-

_Dear Sakura,_

_As you can see, you seem to have lost our little match of strip poker last night. Miserably, in fact. _

(Sakura imagines the smirk he must have worn while writing this.)

_Of course, I decided to be a gentleman, and I didn't continue the game after you had to give up your shirt. Very considerate of me, don't you think? _

_I have reclaimed my uniform, thankfully. _

_While I was in possession of your chuunin vest, I realized that I rather liked having something of yours in my room. As a result, your top is now washed, ironed, folded, and nestled comfortably among my training clothes. _

_If you have any desire to reclaim it, you will present yourself at the Hyuuga compound at seven forty-five this evening for dinner. Formal attire. You may also want to make plans to stay later. _

_I'll be waiting. _

_Regards,_

_Hyuuga Neji. _

Sakura stares at the note, completely dumbfounded and hangover forgotten.

Had _the _Neji actually just asked her out? The infamous _I'll-kill-you-with-one-poke _Hyuuga Neji?

No. Way.

She hears her alarm clock go off in the next room, and she slides off the sofa, still a little dazed. First, she knocks on the top of Shikamaru's boxer-covered head, and he groans, and looks up. "Mmm, Sakura…" His eyes focus on her less-than-decent upper half. "_Sakura._"

The kunoichi blushes a little, taking the boxers off his head and tossing his shirt at him. "Put your eyes back in, Shika."

He shakes his head to clear it of the remaining vestiges of grogginess, as he pulls the shirt on. "Sakura, you know there's a note fastened to your chest, right?"

Sakura makes a face, peeling the note away from her breast bindings and offering it to him. "Read it."

Shikamaru does so, and whistles slowly as he hands it back to her. "Wow. He got you _good._" Upon being faced with her glare, he wilts a little. "It was a low and dirty trick," he says meekly.

She scowls, taking the note back and tossing it down on the coffee table. "It's blackmail! That's my favorite top – the one Ino got me for my birthday!" After stomping into the kitchen, she pulls out two coffee mugs and sets about making the coffee, all the while muttering under her breath. Shikamaru rubs at the pink daisy that had been drawn on his pants, looking dismayed.

"Here you go." Sakura hands him his cup of coffee, and they sip it in silence, before she slams her own half-empty mug down, uttering a roar that would have sounded more appropriate if it had been coming out of the mouth of a large, carnivorous animal. "He is so _arrogant!_"

"That might be so," Shikamaru says mildly. "But you're going to have to go, unless you want your precious designer Ino-approved vest to languish among his training clothes for the rest of eternity."

"I want to wear it for her party on Friday, too…" is the mournful reply. She pulls out a comb from her skirt pocket and begins combing her disarrayed hair, frowning.

Shikamaru watches her, unable to keep an amused smile from his face. "Are you telling me that the _only reason _you would go on a date with Neji is to get your vest back?"

"Yes," Sakura mutters defensively.

"Uh huh." He sets his coffee cup down and stretches. "Comb?"

Sakura hands it over. "Mirror's in the hallway. And I don't appreciate the sarcasm in your first comment."

"Well, you can't blame me for doubting you. And I don't need a mirror." Shikamaru drags the comb through his thick hair, wincing. "You've both known each other for a while, and you _do _seem to be close. Plus, he seems to care for you."

Sakura squeaks.

"Remember when you and Sasuke faced off in Sound? I had to physically _hold him back _to make sure that he wouldn't interfere with you two beating the shit out of each other."

"He was our team leader," Sakura counters. "I was the medic. I was valuable, and he probably just wanted to make sure nothing happened to me."

"Yeah, and then he carried you home after you collapsed from chakra exhaustion, even though _he _had a wounded arm. Leaving Naruto and I to handle Sasuke."

Sakura buries her face in her hands. "You're reading too much into this, Shika. We're friends."

"If you say so." Shikamaru stands, and stretches again. "I hate to interrupt this little session, but I need to get home and change my pants. I don't think Tsunade-sama would like it too much if I reported to work with a giant pink smiling daisy on them."

Sakura has the decency to blush. "Sorry, Shika. Bye!"

Her friend lifts a hand in lazy farewell, before forming several quick handseals and disappearing in a puff of smoke. Sakura watches the spot he had been in, before sighing and getting up, walking into her room to find her work clothes—while determinedly _refusing _to think of a certain white-eyed jounin.

--

Later, as she sits in her workroom and waits for the next patient to be admitted, she props her chin up in her hands, and thinks about what she's going to wear on the date that has been blackmailed out of her. _Formal attire. Dinner. _

_Neji is evil, _Inner Sakura whispers to her.

Sakura nods agreement. _Yeah. But I _love _that vest! _

_It could be worse, girl. At least he's hot. _Inner Sakura punches the air. _Really hot!_

Sakura blushes and drops her head down into her arms. Her own _mind_ is turning traitor on her.

"I think you're supposed to be tending to patients, or something of that sort, _not _slumped over your desk, angsting."

Sakura jumps up, startled, and the back of her sandal gets caught under the chair's wheels. She turns the other way, confused, and then yelps as the chair spins, making her fall flat on her rump. "Oww…" she moans to herself.

Neji stares for a second, then chuckles. He crosses the room in two quick strides, and takes her by the wrist, pulling her up. "How you ever managed to pass the jounin exams is beyond me."

Sakura pulls away, still blushing as she dusts the back of her skirt off. "Hmph. _You_ distracted me!" she exclaims, poking him in the chest, hard. "It's not wise to sneak up on a medic-nin at work. She might just throw a scalpel at you by accident."

He raises an eyebrow. "Or she could trip and fall in an extravagant display of clumsiness."

Sakura shakes her head, realizing that he's teasing her. "You're awful, your almighty Hyuuga-ness."

"Have I ever told you how much I despise being called that?"

Sakura sticks her tongue out at him. "Yeah right. I bet you want to be the next Hokage too, just so that you can have the whole village calling you _Neji-sama._"

The Hyuuga prodigy smirks slightly. "I don't know about the whole village. Personally, I would just be content if _you _called me that once in a while. Anyway…" he takes advantage of her state of openmouthed shock to lean against the wall. "Did you get my note?"

Sakura recovers at that, and folds her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "Note? It's _blackmail._"

"It's a very nice top," Neji replies offhandedly. "I put it on my dresser this morning and just stared at it for a little while."

"You…you are _twisted._"

"Aren't I?" He glances at the clock in the corner of the room. "Aah, my lunch break is almost over and I still haven't eaten anything. I trust I'll see you tonight?"

"…Yes," mutters Sakura, looking up at him.

"I'm looking forward to it," he says, with an almost-smile on his face.

As he opens the door to leave, she beats her pride into a little box. "Neji! Wait!"

He turns back and looks at her. "Hmm?"

"What…what color should I wear? I mean, you said _formal _attire, so…I'm not sure…" her voice peters out, and she looks at the floor, before glancing back at him.

His high cheekbones are tinted with the faintest shade of pink. "You shouldn't worry. Anything looks good on you."

Sakura's jaw drops again.

Neji flees in as dignified a manner as he can.

At last, she turns away from the door, trying to fight back a smile. "Looks like it's the pink dress, then," she says to herself.

--

At seven thirty-seven, Neji is standing outside the Hyuuga compound, observing the pink-clad figure walking up the path. She would be out of visual range of someone without the Byakugan, but the ANBU captain can see her clearly. A small smile touches his face as he watches her take small, tentative steps in her white high-heeled sandals.

Neji admires her from his distance, his white eyes lingering on her slight form appreciatively—he knows that out-and-out staring when they come face-to-face will be out of the question, unless he wants to be punched halfway across the bordering clearing.

Making his decision, he forms a quick succession of handseals, and disappears from his place in front of the gates in a swirl of green leaves.

Sakura jumps a little when her friend materializes about a foot away from her, inclining his head courteously. "Sakura."

"Hi, Neji," she says, feeling a little flustered as he gazes at her ensemble. Her hand goes to smooth her hair—a nervous habit, but she stops as soon as she remembers the elegant bun that Ino had arranged it into, with a few locks of hair drifting loose to frame her face. She forces her hand back down.

"You look beautiful," he tells her, and upon inspection of his face, Sakura is almost startled to notice that he is being completely sincere.

"Thanks…you look nice, too." Inner Sakura snorts. _Nice? He looks like a _god _in those Hyuuga robes…_

Sakura quashes her inner self into submission, willing herself not to blush as she gazes at him. To her surprise, he offers her his arm silently. She stares at it for a moment, before linking arms with him and continuing down the path.

By this time, her inner self is in a clamor again, and even the sane half of her brain is in a state of confusion. This is her friend Neji. The Neji that she and Shikamaru had broken into the Hokage's mission records for, in an attempt to stop him from overstressing himself with work. The Neji that she regularly has to patch up after missions. The Neji who had actually fought against—and beat—her in the final combat round of the jounin exams, causing her to be resentful and generally surly until a laughing Tenten told her that he had spent an hour after the match coughing up blood.

Somebody who has become much more than an acquaintance in the past two years.

Sakura shakes her head at herself. _This is a date that has been blackmailed out of me, nothing more. I'm going to see him tomorrow and he's going to act the same as always—_without _sincere comments about my appearance and his emotionally-weird kind of flirting. _

--

The Hyuuga compound can more accurately be called a sprawling mansion. Sakura is a little awed at how _big _it is, and Neji chuckles a little at the look on her face as he leads her into the elaborate hall. "Impressed?"

"Well, it's very impressive," Sakura says defensively. She looks down at the floor, and is almost blinded by how very white it is.

Neji rolls his eyes. "Have you ever met my uncle?"

"A couple of times," Sakura replies. "He's even more almighty and Hyuuga-like than _you!_"

"I think it's the cane," Neji mutters wryly. "If you hadn't insisted on healing my leg after that last mission, I would have gotten to carry one, too. I think canes enhance an outsider's perception of one's authority."

Sakura shakes her head, amused. "You're really something, you know."

Neji looks down at her, and the corners of his mouth quirk up in a smile. "I believe the modern term is _genius._"

Sakura flaps her hand dismissively. "Yeah—that, too."

Neji arches a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, and refuses to let himself laugh. Instead, a rather undignified snort escapes him, and Sakura begins to giggle as he claps his hand over his mouth.

"I am glad to find you both enjoying yourselves," a dry voice remarks, from the top of the stairs. Hyuuga Hiashi descends carefully, as his nephew and the kunoichi both bow. Sakura notes that, despite his limp, he still manages to convey a sense of grace and power—like Neji.

She finds, not surprisingly, that she is nervous. She watches Hiashi turn away from them and make his way slowly through the main hallway. Sakura shoots Neji a questioning look.

"Dining room's that way," he murmurs, taking Sakura's arm again. "Hinata-sama and Hanabi should be there already."

As they follow Hiashi, Sakura looks around the elaborately furnished compound, a little in awe of how beautiful it is. The dining room is impressive, as well—the table and chairs are made out of some kind of foreign wood, dark and polished.

Sakura seats herself beside Neji, and Hiashi at the head at the table. Hinata and Hanabi are already seated, and Hinata offers Sakura a shy smile in greeting, as Hanabi eyes her curiously.

Servants begin to set the food on the table, and Sakura is unsurprised to discover that she is extremely thirsty. She realizes that she is nervous, and not unreasonably so. Neji's foot nudges her under the table, and when she looks over at him, he smiles slightly, and she returns it a little shakily as they all begin to eat.

"So, Sakura-san," chirps Hanabi at last, breaking the silence. "How long have you and Neji nii-san been dating?"

It is by a sheer miracle that Sakura manages to not choke on her fish and die from the sheer suddenness of the question. _Well, Hanabi, your nii-san and I aren't really _dating, _per say, he kind of blackmailed me to come here, after I lost a match of strip poker to him and he stole my favorite top…of course, that was after Nara Shikamaru and I took advantage of his low alcohol tolerance to get him drunk and then stripped him of his uniform—_

"Around three months," Sakura replies.

"Five months next week," Neji says, at the exact same time.

"Um—" Sakura begins.

"—I mean, that is…" Neji tries to elaborate, and fails.

The medic-nin racks her brain. "Well, Neji sent me anonymous love notes for around two months," she says offhandedly. "So I never really knew it was him. However, we only started officially seeing each other when he came out and told me it was him, which was three months ago."

"How sweet!" Hanabi squeals.

"That was very romantic of you, Neji nii-san," Hinata chips in, smiling shyly.

"Yes, it was," Sakura gives him her best innocent look. "I really didn't know you were such a romantic."

"…Indeed." Neji is taking his temper out on the potato salad, flattening it into submission with his fork.

"Sakura-san," Hiashi begins, setting his glass of water down. He adjusts himself slightly in his seat, and her sharp eyes catch the barely-hidden wince of pain, although he goes on to ask her a few questions about some advanced medical jutsus she had been studying last time they had met; Sakura is pleasantly surprised by the older man's understanding of medical terms and studies, and she answers his questions to the best of her capability.

At least, Hiashi sits back in his chair, and gives her a satisfied smile. "You are a very capable medic indeed, Sakura-san. It is little wonder that my nephew has requested for only you to treat him whenever he is injured."

Sakura shoots Neji a gleeful look. "Has he?"

Neji clears his throat and tries to keep himself from shrinking in his chair. "…Yes, he has."

Inner Sakura screeches in triumph. _Hell yes! We've got him! He's head over heels in love! _

Sakura mentally shakes her head at her inner self, and goes on to answer Hanabi's eager questions about the chuunin exams.

--

Later, when they leave the dining room, Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi all head out to the gardens. When Hinata asks them if they would like to join them under the stars, Sakura looks to Neji for confirmation, but to her surprise, he shakes his head slightly. "In a minute, Hinata-sama."

So they walk in the opposite direction of the rest of the family, but Sakura can feel three gazes trained on their backs. "They rather like us," Neji replies, sounding amused, a few moments later. "Hanabi seems to be admiring your hair. Don't be surprised if she asks you for your recommendations on hair care products when we return."

Sakura smiles to herself. "I like them, too."

They continue walking, their footsteps soft against the damp grass. "Have fun?" Neji asks at last, when they come to a stop under a maple tree.

Sakura looks up at him, and her inner self melts into a gooey puddle as she squeals about how handsome he is, and that _voice—_"Yes," she says, unable to keep herself from smiling. "Sorry about the anonymous love note thing, too."

"Hn. It's all right. But Sakura…" he pauses, his white eyes seeking hers. "I'm surprised at you. You, of all people, should know that when a Hyuuga is interested, he makes that interest known."

"Oh," Sakura squeaks.

Neji leans a little bit closer, and his soft breath ruffles her hair slightly. He places his fingers below her chin, lightly tipping her face up to his. Sakura's eyes are wide, and she wonders if he knows how close she is to passing out.

Gently, Neji reaches out, and takes a silver pin from her hair, making one lock flop down into her face. He brushes it away lightly, settling it behind her ear, and leans down, pressing his lips to her forehead.

(Inner Sakura has just died, and Sakura is pretty close to that state, herself.)

Neji pulls away from the shell-shocked Sakura, and gives her a slight smile. He takes the silver pin and, regarding it thoughtfully, clips it onto the collar of his robes.

"Neji, that's mine…" Sakura says, still a little stunned, reaching up toward him.

Neji reaches out and takes her hand in his, as takes one step back. He smiles a little mischievously. "I'll bring the top by your office tomorrow at lunch. But I adore this pretty little clip…"

Sakura is torn between collapsing in a fit of lovesick giggles and sighing. "What do I have to do to get my clip back?" she asks flirtatiously. "Will I have to kiss you for it?"

Neji turns and begins to walk away, his loose chestnut-colored hair rippling behind him. He turns and holds his hand out again, waiting for Sakura to place her smaller one in his, and they begin to walk back toward the other three, on the other side of the gardens. "I was actually thinking you could stay a little while longer, and that maybe we could go out for coffee tomorrow. But…"

"But?" Sakura prompts, smiling.

Neji turns to her, with a slight smirk on his face. "But I wouldn't be averse to that kiss, either."

Sakura stands on the tips of her toes, matching his smirk with one of her own. "We're on, Hyuuga."

On the other side of the gardens, Hinata turns away from the couple, a small smile spreading across her moonlit features. "Aren't they a cute couple, father?" she asks quietly.

Hiashi leans back, looking up at the sky, and a ghost of a smile flickers across his face. "Indeed they are."

-

-sigh- What can I say? The boy's got game.

Reviews appreciated!


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